[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 107 (Wednesday, June 28, 1995)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1359]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


  CALLING ON THE CLINTON ADMINISTRATION TO GAIN THE RELEASE OF UNITED 
         STATES CITIZEN HARRY WU, ARRESTED IN CHINA ON JUNE 19

                                 ______


                       HON. CHRISTOPHER H. SMITH

                             of new jersey

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, June 28, 1995
  Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, less than 1 month has passed 
since the President extended most-favored-nation trading status once 
again to the People's Republic of China. Ignoring the tragic human 
rights record of China, the huge trade imbalance, the on-going pirating 
of intellectual properties, the forced abortion policy and the 
exporting of nuclear technology to rogue nations, Mr. Clinton rewarded 
the Chinese leaders while turning his back on the millions of Chinese 
who are imprisoned, tortured, persecuted, forced into slavery, and have 
their voices silenced, some even before they are born.
  Mr. Clinton believes that granting MFN to China will encourage the 
Chinese leadership to improve their human rights record. It didn't work 
last year. And it's not going to work this year, either.
  Case in point: On June 19, 1995, Harry Wu, a United States citizen, 
was arrested as he entered China.
  Harry Wu is well known to many of us here in Washington. A former 
political prisoner in China for 19 years, Harry has tirelessly worked 
to expose China's human rights abuses--the extensive prison labor 
system, the backbone of China's export industry; the trafficking of 
body parts of prisoners for transplants and research--uncovering the 
numerous products manufactured in the slave labor camps which are being 
sold in the United States.
  Knowing that each time he returned to China to investigate human 
rights abuses he put himself in danger, Harry continued to go back 
remembering those millions who, like he, suffered, or like his brother, 
died at the hands of the Chinese Government and military.
  Harry has been a stellar, informative, persuasive witness at several 
congressional committee hearings. Once, when asked about why he placed 
his life at risk to expose the horrors of China's prison labor system 
he responded: ``I really want to forget the nightmares of the past 
period, but, you know, some things simply didn't go away. So, like a 
bad dream, they refuse to disappear.
  ``Finally, I got a chance to tell the truth to the world.
  ``I am a survivor. I think I have a responsibility to those inmates 
who are still there.''
  Today Harry Wu is not free. His whereabouts are unknown. The U.S. 
Embassy in Beijing was not informed of his arrest until June 23--4 days 
after the arrest.
  A U.S. Embassy spokesperson claims that the delay in notification was 
the result of poor communications. Another spokesperson said that the 
Embassy and Chinese officials
 were discussing sending a representative to visit Harry.

  Ten days have passed since Harry Wu, a United States citizen, was 
arrested in China. How much longer will he have to wait for the U.S. 
Government to respond? How long will the discussions take? And in the 
meantime, what will happen to Harry Wu?
  Mr. Speaker, I have sat with Harry Wu in my own office many times 
hearing of the unspeakable conditions under which the Chinese people 
live while their leaders are rewarded year after year after year. It 
distresses me greatly to think that Harry is not free, may be tortured, 
and that the administration is moving so slowly to respond to his need.
  Mr. Speaker, I call on the Clinton administration to move swiftly to 
make contact with Harry Wu and to obtain his release. I urge my 
colleagues to do the same. The administration may at this point be 
accustomed to turning its back on the people of China. We cannot allow 
them to become accustomed to ignoring innocent Americans in foreign 
prisons.
  I also urge my colleagues to sign the letter to Jiang Zemin calling 
for the release of Harry Wu.
  Soon the House will take up the disapproval of MFN for China. Some of 
us might be tempted to put trade, money, over human rights and dignity. 
Some of us might believe that criticizing China for human rights abuses 
is interfering with the internal matters of a foreign government. I do 
not.
  Today an innocent United States citizen is being detained in China. 
What more needs to happen? We cannot ignore this. It should offend 
every Member of this body that while the administration rewards the 
Chinese Government, that government responds by arresting a United 
States citizen.
  Harry Wu has been a voice for the voiceless crying out for truth and 
justice. Now his voice has been silenced, and I pray that silence is 
only temporary. We must raise our voices loudly and clearly to the 
Chinese Government. Harry Wu must be released and the Chinese 
Government must be held accountable for this affront against the United 
States.


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